Extension arm bridge lamp



17, 1935. E. E. METZ ET AL 924,655

EXTENSION ARM BRIDGE LAMP Filed May 19, 1954 Patented Dec.` 17, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Earl E. Metz and Harry F. Metz, Jr., Philadelphia, Pa.

Application May 19, 1934, Serial No. 726,458

2 Claims.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements to bridge lamps.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide an ordinary bridge lamp construction with an adjustable extension arm which, when not in use, may be completely concealed within the bridge lamp construction without detracting from the appearance of the bridge lamp, or from its use as a reading lamp.

A further object of this invention is to provide a bridge lamp with an extension arm long enough to bring the reflector and shade vertically over the center of a card table when the standard of the lamp is adjacent the edge of the table between two of the players. When the arm is so extended and the lamp is so used, the shade will protect the eyes of the players from the glare of the electric light while the entire area of the table top and the cards in the hands of the players will be illuminated from a single lamp suspended over the table on the end of an extension arm which is mounted in the short rigid arm with which ordinary bridge lamps are often provided.

A further object of this invention is the production of a simple structure which will be economical to manufacture and will be composed of few parts of simple design capable of easy assemblage. In the embodiment of the invention all of the moving parts are supported in suitable manner.

Other objects of this invention will hereinafter appear.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawing which, with the reference characters marked thereon, forms a part of this specification and in which drawing:-

Figure 1 is a side sectional View of a bridge lamp embodying our invention, with the extension arm fully extended.

Figure 2 is a side sectional View of the same bridge lamp embodying our invention, with the extension arm being pushed back into the permanent arm of the lamp.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, to the base I0 of the lamp is attached a rigid tube forming the upright standard 9 of the bridge lamp. At the top of this standard 9 is the usual short rigid hollow arm 3 and the base standard and arm thus described is a conventional construction of bridge lamp in use today. Our invention relates to the addition to this old bridge lamp construction of a plurality of telescoping Atubes slidingly mounted into and out of the permanent arm 3 and into and out of each other.

For example, the hollow tube 2, the outer diameter of which is slightly smaller than the bore arm d is tted into said bere to be slid easily longitudinally thereof into and out of said rigid arm 3. It is kept from being moved completely 5 out of the arm 23 by a ring or band or Washer i rigidly attached to the inner end of the tube 2 and adapted to engage a ring or flange or pro` jection 3 at the outer end of the bore through the rigid arm 3. Within said tube 2 is another 10 tube I, the outer diameter of which is slightly less than the bore in the tube 2. The tube I is, however, prevented from being bodily removedfrom the tube 2 by a ring or washer or band 8 rigidly secured to the inner end of the tube freely slid- 15 ing in the bore of the tube 2 and adapted to engage the ring or ange 2 at the outer end of the tube 2 when the tube I is fully extended.

Attached to the outer end of tube I is the connection i I from which hangs the lamp shade 20 i2 containing an electric light bulb.

Through the center of the upright standard 9, an electric wire 5 passes substantially through the center of the arm and the tubes 2 and I, and through the connection Il to supply current 25 to the electric light bulb in the shade I2. To allow for the free and easy movement of the electric wire 5 when the extension arm 2-I is moved in and out of the rigid arm 3, a small roller 4 is mounted on an axle or pin 4 in the 30 top of the standard 9. When the extension arm 2-I is moved in and out, the electric wire will travel over the roller and up and down through the center of the standard 9. The weight 6, which is attached to the wire 5 at a suitable 35 point Within the standard 9, will take up any slack in the wire when the arm is pushed inwardly. The weight is a small one. It should not be heavy enough to interfere with the free movement of the extension arm in and out, or 40 to draw the extension arm suddenly inwardly after it has been drawn to its extended position;`

It is to be observed that the flexible electric wire 5 is completely hidden within the xture I I, the tubes I and 2, the arm 3 and the upright 45 standard 9; that the tubes I and 2, when slid back into the rigid arm 3 are completely concealed thereby so that the appearance of the lamp is not substantially different from the ordinary bridge lamps now in use; and that the 50 weight 6 is also concealed at all times within the column or upright 9 and does not detract from the attractive appearance of the lamp.

The combined length of the rigid arm 3 and of the extension arms or tubes fitted therein,

is such that when the arm is extended and the lamp shade l2 is over the middle of a standard card table, the lower edge of the shade l2 will only be a little above the level of the eyes of the player and will thus be operative to protect the eyes of all the players from the direct glare from the bulb.

1. In a bridge lamp, the combination of a base, a verticall standard mounted on said base, a relatively short, substantially horizontal straight lateral arm at the top of said standard and rigid therewith, said standard and said arm being tubular and providing a continuous passage from the end of said arm into said standard, a set of tubes telescopically ttingiinto said arm and into each other, means to prevent the complete separation of said tubes from said arm and from each other when extended, a lamp xture secured to the outer end of said set of tubes and a lamp shade secured to and directed downwardly from said xture, a exible electric conductor extending from said lamp xture through said tubes and said arm and into said standard and ccmpletely concealed within the same, said set of tubes being substantially completely concealed within said she-rt arm when they are slid back into said arm, and take-up means attached to said conductor to take up the slack in said conductor between said fixture and said takeup means when said tubes are being slid back into said arm.

2. In a bridge lamp, the combination of a base, a vertical standard mounted on said base, a relatively short substantially straight lateral arm at the top of said standard and permanently rigid therewith, said standard and said arm' be- 5 ing tubular and providing a continuous passage from the end of said arm to the lower open end of said standard, a set of tubes telescopically fitting into said permanent arm and Within each other, means to prevent the complete separation 10 of said tubes from said arm and from each other when extended, a lamp xturesecured tothe outer end of the inner of said tubes, a lamp shade directed downwardly from said xture, a exible electric conductor extending from said 15 lamp fixture through said tubes, through said arm and through said standard and completely concealed Within the same, said set of telescoping tubes being completely concealed within said permanent arm when slid back into said arm, 20 and a weight freely slidable in said standard and rmly attached to said conductor and hanging on said conductor within said standard to take up the slack in said conductor between said xture and said Weight when said set of tubes are 25 vbeing slid back into said arm, and to confine any slack in the cable to the space in said column below said Weight. v

EARL E. METZ.

HARRY 1T'. METZ, JR. 30 

